gwar Archives - RVA Mag

The Richmond Music Catalog 1980-2021 Part 2

Marilyn Drew Necci | January 5, 2022

Topics: Engine Down, Erin & The Wildfire, Fan Ran, Fight The Big Bull, Fighting Gravity, FM Skyline, Four Walls Falling, Fudge, Fun Size, gwar, Holy River, Holy Roller, Honor Role, Hot Lava, House Of Freaks, Inquisition, Inter Arma, Iron Reagan, J Roddy Rod, J Roddy Walston and the Business, Jason Mraz, Johnny Ciggs, Jonathan Facka, jonathan vassar, josh small, Lobo Marino, richmond music, The Richmond Music Catalog

I’ve been going to shows in Richmond for what I am frightened to realize is just shy of three decades now. I showed up as a fresh-faced college kid still too young to get into the 18+ shows, and these days I’m rapidly entering the back half of my 40s. My point? It’s safe to say that I’ve seen a ton of music from this city come and go.

And yet, it’s also very safe to say that I still have a ton left to discover. From the many bands (going back a good bit farther than even the 1980 date given as our ostensible starting point) that came along when I was still a kid (or maybe not even born yet) to the younger artists making noise right now in underground venues that I’m no longer young and hip enough to even learn about, there’s so much still to discover.

No matter what some scientist might tell you about how people stop listening to new music at 33 (google it, that’s a real study), I say it’s never too late to find new sounds with which to enrich your life. And there’s no better place to find them than embedded deep in the musical underground of your very own city. Whether you call it Richmond, RVA, river city or cap city, you can’t deny that there’s a ton of great music happening here. So let’s dive in, shall we? Welcome to The Richmond Music Catalog, part 2 of 4. — Marilyn Drew Necci

You can also check out Parts 1 (A-D) 2 (E-J) 3(K-R) 4(T-Z). Enjoy!

THE RICHMOND MUSIC CATALOG PART 2

Engine Down, ‘Rogue’ Engine Down
2004 Lookout! Records

Engine Down was a four-piece rock band from Richmond, Virginia, active from 1996-2005. They were a part of the Washington, D.C. area post- hardcore movement, along with bands like The Dismemberment Plan, Q and Not U, and Faraquet. The lineup included Keeley Davis on guitar and vocals, Jason Wood on bass and vocals, Jonathan Fuller on guitar and backup vocals, and Cornbread Compton on drums. In early recordings Wood and founding member Jeremy Taylor served as primary lead vocalists, but later in their career the duties of lead singer switched primarily to Davis. In 2005 Engine Down disbanded, following a farewell tour. Davis joined the band Sparta as lead guitarist. Compton began drumming for various bands including Biology, a side project with From Autumn to Ashes members Francis Mark & Josh Newton. Compton then joined Cursive to record their 2009 album Mama, I’m Swollen. Keeley and Jonathon Fuller have reunited in both Denali, and new band, Heks Orkest, featuring Denali member, Cam DiNunzio. — from Sputnik Music

Erin & The Wildfire, ‘Thirsty’ Thirsty
2016 Self Released

Charlottesville, VA-based Erin and the Wildfire will return with their new album Thirst, due out tomorrow (September 29). The sextet formed at nearby University of Virginia in 2011 and will release a new album inspired by the likes of Alabama Shakes, Vulfpeck, Funkadelic and Tedeschi Trucks Band (among others).

“We are stoked to have a cohesive, expressive record that we are proud of and represents a sound we’ve been working towards for years,” Erin Lunsford told Relix. “Thematically, Thirst is about my quest for love. I’d say a quarter of the songs are about one person in particular who I chased for a couple/few years. The song ‘Thirsty’ was the first in the series of longing songs followed by ‘Nothing Drowns You Out,’ ‘Meant For Me,’ ‘One Woman Show,’ and finally ‘Great Love.’ Longing turns to obsession turned to insecurity turned to anger turned in the end to a surrender of sorts with ‘Great Love.'” — from Relix

Eucharist, “Fooled Again,” Eucharist
1996 Mountain Records

Eucharist played crushing hardcore with influences from some of the best late-’80s/early-’90s US hardcore bands. I can hear traces of Infest, Citizens Arrest, Born Against, Rorschach, Crossed Out, etc. Besides this 12″, they had a few tracks on the Nothing’s Quiet on the Eastern Front compilation LP (alongside Devoid of Faith, Assfactor 4, Dropdead, Monster X, and more), the Vida Life comp (on Lengua Armada), and the, uh, Double Dose of Dicks 2×7″ comp. Their guitarist Mark Telfian would go on to play in the band Hail Mary and was the original guitarist of Limp Wrist. He also did the label Paralogy Records. –from Maximum Rocknroll

Fan Ran, ‘Trainwreck’ Loose Bowels
2017 Gritty City Records

“My influences on my style are AZ, Pimp C, & Prodigy,” said Ran. His influences are the reason he has such thoughtful lyrics. Some powerful tracks off of the album are “Train Wreck,” “Hunnid Dolla Bill$,” “All My Friends Are Dead,” and “God is Good.” The opening track, “Train Wreck,” was one of the oldest records on the album, but one of the most powerful songs. “The song was written after a whiskey binger weekend,” said Ran.

The track is a standout record because it is filled with heavy lyricism. “Hunnid Dolla Bill$ is a “fan favorite” according to the artist. And after one listen, I understood why. The track stands out with this heavy bass hitting instrumental with a deep vocal hook. “Hunnid Dolla Bill$” was the track that was the most fun to record,” said Ran. “Just being in the studio with the homies drinking a few brews, and we went into the booth and knocked out the song.”

The most personal track on the album is “All My Friends Are Dead “ which reflects Ran’s past over the last few years. “For that song it wasn’t about the lyrics,” said Ran, who mentioned losing friends to cancer and drugs. “I just went into the studio and started writing down a list of my friends that are dead and started rhyming their names. I’ve lost seven friends within the past three years.” — from RVA Magazine, May 19, 2016

Fight The Big Bull, ‘Mothra’ All Is Gladness In The Kingdom
2010 Self Released

Once upon a time, music was a craft, and the art form’s great craftsmen weren’t known as producers, but rather composers, arrangers, soloists, and bandleaders. It was an era when jazz served as the great storehouse of culture and style, and the big band functioned as archivist, interpreter and emissary to the masses. Matt White, the 27-year-old guitarist, composer, bandleader, and craftsman behind Fight the Big Bull, knows that time is now.

Make no mistake: There’s nothing nostalgic or revivalist about Fight the Big Bull. The “rapturously chaotic sound” owes as much to the band’s open ears as it does to their mastery of tradition. Forged in the fall of 2005 around the (now defunct) avant-garde guitar-trombone-drum trio Fight the Bull, the group has become a Richmond, Virginia, institution through their reputation for fearless improvisation and White’s clever, forward-looking charts. A bi-weekly local gig quickly garnered the band an eclectic following of devoted purists and eager converts, and their 2008 debut Dying Will Be Easy, on the Portuguese label Clean Feed, pushed the group before a national audience, earning them feature spots on WNYC and NPR’s Fresh Air, while Popmatters.com listed the record among the year’s best. It wasn’t long before the band landed a gig at celebrated New York avant-garde venue The Stone and a series of guest spots with visionary saxophonist Ken Vandermark in Chicago. — from Kennedy Center

Fighting Gravity, ‘Fools & Kings’ Forever=One Day
1996 Mercury Records

OK, class, pop quiz. Question: Assume there is a crowd-pleasing seven-piece ska-influenced group from Richmond, Va. Let them be called Fighting Gravity. Take as a given that every year, Fighting Gravity travel tens of thousands of miles up and down the Eastern seaboard playing both on and around college campuses for varying fees. Factor in that the band has done so ever since its founding at Virginia Polytechnic Institute approximately one decade ago. Now calculate exactly what Fighting Gravity have learned after all that up-close experience with higher education. — from Rolling Stone

Fire & Ice, “Not Of This Earth,” Not Of This Earth
2012 Reaper Records (video live at United Blood 2013)

The record brings us that Fire & Ice hardcore sound with a great groove to it, something we know bands such as Dead End Path, Expire and Backtrack so well for. I think it is cool to see all these bands go their own way, and make music that they love instead of sticking to the traditional way of doing things, and making the same records over and over again. The guys from Fire & Ice have followed their instincts and put something great together here.

‘Not Of This Earth’ is the title track of the record and kicks the whole thing into gear right from the start. The track has a slightly progressive (in terms of hardcore music) opening that will make sure to get the kids swinging. –from Legends Arising

500$Fine, “Learning,” Forward
1997 Self Release

We’re used to believing that in the age of the internet, everything lives forever. Of course, if you had a Geocities site 20 years ago or a MySpace account 10 years ago, you know that isn’t true, but still. What about stuff from before the internet, though? How much history that still exists within living memory is totally unknown to everyone that wasn’t there at the time? To be more specific: how many of my readers under the age of 35 have any idea that the basement cafeteria of a Catholic school in Chesterfield County was once one of the more consistent music venues in the Richmond area?

I know, it sounds crazy! And yet, for a time in the late 90s, St. Edwards Epiphany School on Huguenot Road acted as a gateway for an entire generation of suburban high schoolers to get into the music scene. It seemed like a safe place to drop your curious 12 year old — because it very much was — and everyone from teenage pop-punk bands to downtown stalwarts played there on at least a semi-regular basis.

Of course, for the most part, you can’t hear any of the bands that were St. Edwards regulars anymore — at least, not the way they were heard at the time. Their primitive 4-track demo cassettes may have been digitized at some point, but the recording technology 18 year olds had access to at the time wasn’t the greatest, and almost none of these bands left behind recordings that captured the immediacy and joy of seeing them live. Therefore, we can all be grateful that, this Saturday night, half a dozen of the most memorable veterans of St. Edwards’ basement stage will be back together once again, doing a set for old times’ sake down at Capital Ale House.

Fun Size is still around today, so you may have caught their catchy, emotional pop-punk sound at one point or another. But 500$Fine’s bassist, Patrick Daly, tragically died at the age of 16, so this performance, with Bradley Lile of fellow St. Edwards stalwarts Cloud 13 filling Patrick’s spot on bass, will be their first in over two decades. Their fiery, political take on reggae-influenced melodic punk made them Chesterfield’s own high-school Clash for a couple of years. If you’ve never seen them before, you need to fix that. –from RVA Magazine, November 26, 2019

Flesh Eating Creeps, “Fuck It Up, Richmond Style,” The Book About The Movie
2015 Handstand Records

Flesh Eating Creeps were a Richmond, Virginia hardcore punk band from 1995 to 2000. Over that time, they had 6 bassists, released a few EPs, and played a lot of shows in Virginia and its neighboring states. Members went on to form the bands Brainworms, City Of Caterpillar, Light The Fuse And Run, Municipal Waste, Stop It!! and Worn In Red. The two constant members, Chris Terry and Brendan Trache, worked with old friend Will Cole of Handstand Records to digitize vinyl and tape recordings, scan photos and flyers, and compile as much information as possible for this comprehensive, 58-song discography that includes deluxe and standard cassette releases, a Bandcamp download/stream, and an archival band website. –from Bandcamp

FM Skyline, ‘Overture’ Illuminations
2021 100% Electronica

FM Skyline, real name Pete Curry, is an Electronic, Vaporwave and Pop/Synth artist who has been in the game for several years now. In that time, he’s released a few studio albums, some of which are absolutely essential to any Vapor/Synth/Electronic collection regardless of which format you collect. Albums like Deluxe Memory Suite, EarthSim and Advanced Memory Suite are some of the finest the genre(s) have to offer. Recently, FM Skyline put out his studio effort which is called liteware, and I believe in time it will be looked back upon as yet another classic within the genre. Plus, it’s on 100% Electronica, so you can trust that it will be fantastic. — from VW Music

Four Hundred Years, “Red Tape,” Four Hundred Years EP
1996 Yuletide Records

At last! The legendary Suture LP (originally released on Great American Steak Religion) plus the first Four Hundred Years 7″ (originally on Yuletide/Rosepetal) has reappeared for the masses on CD format! This album is one that garnered the band critical acclaim and cult status around the world with its poignant political lyrics and unabashed energy. Indeed, this is timeless post-punk that will rekindle the flames of discontent and revive the revolutionary spirit. –from Dischord Records

4 Walls Falling, ‘Culture Shock’ Culture Shock
1993 Jade Tree

Scenes are often dated. Passion and skill, however, dodge the expiration date, explaining the staying power of 4 Walls Falling. While most prominent in the early to mid-’90s, 4 Walls Falling helped define-and continues to inform-a cathartic, inventive and personal style of hardcore still incapable of being watered down with tags like the “E” word. Drawing from the same zeitgeist as groups such as Endpoint and Turning Point, Four Walls chugged without machismo, and vented without moping. Simultaneously emotional and specifically political, songs like “Greed” or “Culture Shock” define 4 Walls Falling as an underground classic of recent times. — from Jade Tree

Fudge, ‘Girlwish’ Something Pretty Beautiful: A Brilliant Compilation
1993 Brilliant Records

In just two albums, Fudge shifted from dreamy bubblegum to pop-punk. The Richmond, VA, band met through mutual friends in 1990 and played for almost a year before finding a bass player or a suitable rehearsal space. Tony Ammendolia (vocals/guitar), David Jones (guitar/vocals), and Mike Savage (drums) wrote songs for the first album in a downtown apartment until Steve Venable (bass) arrived. Using a title borrowed from an e.e. cummings poem, The Ferocious Rhythm of Precise Laziness arrived on the major minor label Caroline in 1993, selling 10,000 copies and securing a tour with the Buzzcocks. Southside Speedway, with its shorter and harder-hitting songs, came out one year later. Citing minor differences among its members, Fudge split soon afterwards. Savage and Venable later played in Cherry 2000 until February of 2000. Jones joined Dynamic Truths and Ammendolia joined the ranks of fatherhood. — from All Music

Fun Size, ‘End Of The Road’ Since Last We Spoke
2012 Self Released

Well, in a further confirmation of my pet theory that every band that breaks up eventually gets back together, 90s-era Richmond pop-punk flagbearers Fun Size have returned. With three-fourths of their best-known lineup (only lead guitarist Orice Collins has been replaced by Pedro Aida) back in the fold, they’ve put together a new album called Since Last We Spoke and have now released that album’s first single, “End Of The Road” (available for download from their bandcamp page). The song itself might be my favorite thing that I’ve heard by Fun Size. While their 90s output seemed more influenced by bands like Green Day, frontman James Menefee has been dipping his toes into a more midwestern, perhaps even Westerbergian, alternative rock sensibility in his recent work with Long Arms, so it’s no surprise to hear a solid Replacements influence in the chorus–but it’s definitely cool. If the whole album sounds like this, I’m gonna love it. — from RVA Magazine, November 8, 2012

Grip (aka Dayspring), “Diffidence,” Friction Burn Fatal
1993 New Age Records

Grip remains one of my favorite local bands ever, and this EP is jammed with awesome riffs and great songs from that niche of the 90’s where metallic hardcore and weirdly melodic not-quite-“emo”-but-still-kinda-sorta-“emo” meshed rather nicely. The band had morphed into the equally awesome (and, sadly, equally short-lived) Dayspring by 1994, so this 1993 EP was their sole release. Great shit. –from Aversionline

GWAR, ‘Sick Of You’ Scumdogs Of The Universe
1990 Metal Blade Records

Before Oderus Urungus, leader of GWAR, answers any questions, he reminds me that I, a mere human, am “an insignificant speck of diarrheic phlegm.” When I reveal for whom I am writing this article, he replies, “SPIN… Ah yes, I think I wiped my buttocks with it once.” Such is the wisdom of the gods.

Well, not exactly gods. GWAR is actually a posse of Antartic warrior demigods. GWAR is also the sickest heavy metal parody band in the galaxy. But it would be best to let Oderus tell the story: “GWAR was created by the master of creation, an ambiguous being named Larry, as the ultimate doomsday device. GWAR was at one time in the legion of Scumdogs of the Universe, but they were banished to the earth. GWAR’s ultimate goal is to leave Earth, after destroying it, and rejoin the Scumdogs.”

Musically, GWAR is a hardcore quintet that spews a delicious viscous goo, blending Black Sabbath, the Meatmen and the Dickies. Live, they expand to 14 performers (non-musicians are called slaves, as are their fans), each dressed in outrageous Dungeons-and-Dragons-on-cough-medicine costumes.

The characters in GWAR (and they are always in character) are warriors who have taken to our earth’s strange indulgences. For instance, they all love crack cocaine. Flattus Maximus attributes his explosive guitar style to “a strict diet of vegetarians.” Balsac the Jaws of Death “writes songs by scratching his scrotum with his guitar.” — from Spin

Hex Machine, “Chub,” Fixator
2012 Learning Curve Records

Here it is, folks, the new video from RVA noise-rock auteurs Hex Machine! Yes, it’s true–a few months ago, I presented you guys with a new Hex Machine video that was basically just an album cover floating overtop of an abstract background while a song plays. And I’m not apologizing for that, either, because the song was just that good! But this is the real thing–an honest-to-goodness video for “Chub,” the newest single from Hex Machine’s second full-length album, Fixator, which came out this week on Learning Curve Records. Hex Machine leader Trevere Thomas and his current crew of road warriors may start this track with a wall of screeching noise, but there’s a real melodic sensibility lurking beneath the distortion and headbang-worthy riffs, as you’ll see on “Chub”‘s chorus.

What’s even cooler about all this is the video, directed by Philip Shive of the mysterious Voice Of Pizza, which really does look like the sort of clip that an off-kilter noisy alt-rock band would make back in the early 90s. It mixes what appears to be found footage from 30 to 40 years ago of all kinds of random stuff–a skipping businessman, little league baseball players, a dramatization of a surgical procedure–and some serious film distress that results in constant visual interference falling across the screen. I can’t really describe it any better than that, but it’s really cool and looks like the sort of video that Barkmarket used to foist upon an unprepared audience during the last hour of Headbanger’s Ball. Barkmarket mixed with the Jesus Lizard isn’t a bad musical reference for Hex Machine either, and it’s great that they’re bringing that sound to the RVA music scene–we could always use more loud, weird rock n’ roll! –from RVA Magazine, August 30, 2012

Holy River aka Lobo Marino, ‘Come With Me’ Kite Festival
2012 Self Released

Up to this point, their songs were planned around Price playing guitar, Sullivan on accordion, and a third member filling in the gaps. Now, with another set of songs almost complete, they were considering their next logical step. In many ways, this was the exact challenge they needed to face in order to create what has since become the standard setup for a Lobo Marino show.

This began with Sullivan’s acquisition of a harmonium–a type of organ, popular in the late 19th century (and to this day in India) that generates sound with a bellows. “Once I got the harmonium, that is what really helped us fill that space with the necessary bass,” Sullivan explains. “It also helped me find my voice. When I wrote on the accordion, the challenge was that it was higher than I was comfortable singing with. On the harmonium, the lower register comfortably suited my voice.”

At this point, Price also diverted his attention from strictly playing guitar on their songs. He began using a variety of percussive tools–everything from an enormous bass drum to vases to bells strapped to ankles. Just about anything under the sun was fair game. These instrumental changes helped guide the two as they decided to make their next recording a live album. For the session, Price and Sullivan were joined by a variety of musicians over the course of an evening in the upstairs corridor of Gallery5. “We were excited to invite what we consider to be our close family to one of our favorite spaces and have them be a part of this experience. It was also a strong testament to what our band had transformed into,” Sullivan says. This collection of songs, released in 2012 and entitled Kite Festival, perfectly articulated the sound of Lobo Marino up to that point. Songs like “Celebrate” and “Stay With Me” examined the delicate intricacies of their sound; one song relied heavily on percussion, another on the subtlety of their lyrical nuances. –from RVA Magazine, December 28, 2015

Holy Roller, ‘Muscle Up’ Muscle Up
2019 Self Released

You may not be familiar with the name Holy Roller or even know what it is, but you will definitely recognize some of the faces in this four-piece band that has recently made its debut, with an album slated to drop this fall.

Holy Roller is a new project from the guys of former Southern rock band Big Mama Shakes, who performed their last show under the name back in the spring. And now, armed with a new member, new material, and a new name and sound, the band is eager to show fans, old and new, what they’ve been working on.

Since forming in 2013, Big Mama Shakes entertained Richmond crowds and beyond with their raw, energetic shows and southern charm. Since releasing their debut album, As She Does in 2015, the group built up a solid following with a monthly residency at The Camel, touring up and down the east coast and midwest, and playing alongside major names like Passion Pit, Incubus, and Nathaniel Rateliff. — from RVA Magazine, August 28, 2018

Honor Role, ‘Purgatory’ The Pretty Song
1987 Self Released

Honor Role emerged from being one of America’s most undistinguished hardcore bands to breathe new life into the genre. They developed so fast that they were more or less unloved in their time. The prime lineup(s) set a solid foundation of throbbing, dub-punk rhythms upon which guitarist Pen Rollings could flash his indie rock guitar-heroics and Bob Schick could emote his incredibly insightful, humanist lyrics in a voice both angst-ridden and empathetic. Few bands today boast a vocalist and a guitar player even remotely as passionate or talented as the pair.

The Pretty Song, co-released on Corrosion of Conformity drummer Reed Mullin’s label, is a burst of ideas and approaches. A vari-speed series of rhythmically nimble skips and trudges are dolloped with guitar noise and real songcraft. Highlights are “Throwing Rocks,” a downtrodden chug, and the sing-along bass-driven gloom of “Purgatory.” Bob Schick proves equal to both bitter haranguing (“Observation,” and “Jank,” a rip-snorting B-side) and weary meditations on doubt (“Six,” “Care Taker”). The whole band brims over with edgy intensity (maybe just perpetual nervousness). Although weakened by overly reverbed ’80s production, the record is a milestone and its influence on good folks from Superchunk to Don Caballero is easy to hear. — from Trouser Press

The Honorable Sleaze, “Hell On Wheels,” Heavenly Devilish II: Demons
2017 Gritty City Records

Last night, Richmond was hit with the news that Brian “The Honorable Sleaze” Davis, Sr., a staple of the local hip hop scene, died suddenly following complications during surgery.

Co-producer of the now-defunct Just Plain Sounds netlabel, Sleaze was known for his work as a skilled producer and artist. His most recent album, Heavenly/Devilish II: Demons, made waves in the local hip hop community after its release. Sleaze was widely regarded by fellow artists for his influence in the scene.

“I think the things he would say kept the realness in Richmond rap,” said Ant The Symbol, Sleaze’s producer and longtime friend. “It’s insane, you never think these things are going to happen until tragically, they do.”

In his music, Sleaze focused his attention on issues pressing to his community. According to his artist bio, his “everyman” quality touched on complex social issues but extended to all facets of life. His recent work addressed his personal life and its trials and tribulations. –from RVA Magazine, July 10, 2017

Hot Lava, ‘Blue Dragon’ Hot Lava
2009 Bar/None Records

It’s been 3 years of countless laughs and quite a few line-up changes, Richmond, Virginia’s Hot Lava, comprised of Allison Apperson, Jared Sosa, Andrew Mowe and Matt Deans, are finally ready to heat things up. Their multi-layered debut album, Lavalogy, is a unique, conceptual adventure that plays like the musical companion to a satirical and subversive graphic novel.

There is no denying the band’s love-affair with 90’s indie-pop or their 60’s inspired sensibilities, but Hot Lava’s music goes beyond celebrating the past, it gazes into the future with a wide-eye and an endearing, off-beat sense of humor. Whether lead singer Allison Apperson is romanticizing about a spinach-eating blue dragon, or wrestling with technology (Apple+Option+Fire), she and the rest of the boys are focused on smothering their catchy pop vignettes with candy-coated melodies and infectious hooks that are guaranteed to get your temperature rising. –from Bar/None Records

House Of Freaks, ‘Sun Goes Down’ Cakewalk
1991 Giant Records

The creative leap that brought House of Freaks to life in Richmond, Virginia as a duo of guitar/vocals (Bryan Harvey) and drums (Johnny Hott) has become an article of faith for the group. Intelligence, urgency and creative use of guest musicians far outweigh any structural doubt about what properly constitutes a rock combo. (So much for the 21st century modernity of the White Stripes.) Related by scope and approach to the Violent Femmes and redolent of cultural history in much the same way as the early Band, House of Freaks covers a rich and evocative American musical landscape. What makes the group work is not the novelty of the guitar’n’drums lineup, but Harvey’s guitar and vocals, which jump out at you with all urgency and stripped-down emotionalism. Furthermore, Hott’s industrial-strength drumming and Harvey’s terrific songs that draw on American folklore and mythology from the days of the slave trade up through the atomic era make for a winning combination of punch and intelligence. — from Trouser Press

Inquisition, ‘Pulse’ Revolution, I Think Its Called Inspiration
1995 Pop A Wheelie Records

To compose a brief history for those not familiar, I will note just a few things. This album was originally released in 1995 and members went on to form Strike Anywhere (named after one of the songs on the album), Ann Beretta, and River City High. They are cited as an inspiration for the likes of Hot Water Music, Ensign, Dashboard Confessional, Suicide Machines, and Anti-Flag.

Enough of the BS though; how is the album? Forget about 10 years ago; it’s an excellent album right now. It’s hard to avoid comparisons to a more complex version of early Strike Anywhere with Thomas (now singing for said band) at the vocal front here, but it’s interesting to hear what might happen when you take the Chorus of One EP and add even more well-developed ideas both musically and lyrically in the same relatively raw atmosphere. — from PunkNews.org

INTER ARMA, ‘The Summer Drones’ Paradise Gallows
2016 Relapse Records

Few metal bands in recent years have emerged with all their parts so immediately perfected as Inter Arma: every pummeling, slow-as-molasses drum fill; every seasick, punishing guitar solo; every ounce of reverb on Mike Paparo’s pained, death metal howl; every blast of feedback swelling in the mix like a bolt of thunder forecasting a biblical storm. For a band so wild and untamable, every aspect of Inter Arma’s records sounds as if it was deliberated upon and perfected for hours in a studio before reaching our ears. This was true on their 2013 Relapse debut Sky Burial, and it was even truer on their 2014 follow-up EP The Cavern. A single 45-minute track, *The Cavern *showcased a band uninterested in resting on their laurels. They had established a signature sound, with their moody amalgam of death metal, black metal, doom metal, and Southern rock, and were now focused on crafting compositions as interesting and distinctive as their sonics.

Such is the mission statement for Paradise Gallows, an album that finds the Richmond, Virginia five-piece alternatively aiming to be both the world’s heaviest act and also the prettiest— and they don’t waste any time. Brief opening number “Nomini” pairs acoustic fingerpicking with soaring David Gilmour-indebted solos and leads right into “An Archer in the Emptiness,” their most guttural, atonal slab of sludge to date. The juxtaposition of the two songs is an almost too-perfect summation of what Inter Arma is capable of (see also track titles like “Violent Constellations” and “The Summer Drones”), but Inter Arma is too smart to become formulaic. On Paradise Gallows, their songwriting is consistently sharp and challenging, making the album’s 71 minutes of shapeshifting feel not only coherent but also wholly natural and downright triumphant. — from Pitchfork

Ipecac, “The Self-Detonating Nuclear Family,” Tomato Tomato EP
1994 Fountainhead Records

Hi! I’m ATC. A little over 25 years ago I was in a band in Richmond, VA with 3, sometimes 4, of my friends. Back then, if anyone asked about the band, we’d almost always say something self-deprecating in response. We reprinted unfavorable reviews as advertisements. We would directly question the decision-making ability of the people who came to see us, etc.

Truth is, I loved making noise with those guys, and a couple of these songs(?) turned out just about exactly how we wanted them to. I’m glad that it was documented. There are 14 or 15 people who will be happy about this “unearthed” collection. Most are from Richmond’s Southside. Maybe a few from Eastend. A couple outside of DC… one or two in Philly. This is for you guys! To everyone else who stumbles across this… sorry, but watch your step next time.

Thanks! Enjoy! Wash your hands! And please keep your face covered in public… so the rest of us don’t have to cover our eyes! –from Bandcamp

Iron Reagan, ‘Miserable Failure’ The Tyranny Of Will
2014 Relapse Records

Iron Reagan are a Richmond band composed of members from notable crossover thrash groups like Municipal Waste and Darkest Hour. Their latest album is a thirty-two minute blitzkrieg that fires off short, potent riffs at a workmanlike pace, letting the listener sort out the mess for themselves.

A decade after his death (two since he left office), former president Ronald Reagan continues to be a subject of many a musical effigy, but it’s been a while since the hardcore community had him as its muse. Enter Iron Reagan, a Richmond band composed of members from notable crossover thrash groups like Municipal Waste and Darkest Hour, who are the jellybean cowboy’s latest invokers. While their sound places them as political punk in the vein of Wasted Youth or the Crucifucks, Iron Reagan’s lyrical tendencies skew nihilstic and violent with a dash of odd humor. Where Black Flag once instructed the crowd to “Rise Above”, Iron Reagan proudly declare, “I Ripped That Testament a New Asshole”. It’s a shock-driven approach, sure, but when it comes to expressing displeasure with the status quo, have punks ever bothered to clean up nicely and say “please”? — from Pitchfork

J Roddy Rod, ‘Where Da Twerkas At?’ J Roddy Rod
2008 Powerhouse Ent

Having started in the local scene hip-hop scene here in Richmond, J Roddy Rod aka The Twerk God has blown up regionally. Performing at a number of venues and house parties throughout the state and receiving radio play and spins in local clubs in Richmond, Chesapeake, and North Carolina has contributed to the success J Roddy Rod has found. In addition, he also has close to a million views on Youtube for his video, “Where Da Twerkas At?” — from RVA Magazine, June 25, 2013

J Roddy Walston & The Business, ‘Heavy Bells’ Essential Tremors
2013 ATO Records

As a preview for the release of their upcoming, fourth full-length album Destroyers Of The Soft Life, the Richmond, Virginia southern rock four-piece J. Roddy Walston & The Business brought their heavy jams and raging energy to Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY last week.

The band walked on stage to Tina Turner’s What’s Love Got to Do With It, which not only served as the pump up music but a clear hint at J. Roddy’s passionate belting and power vocal inspiration. Marigold – track two from the bands third album Essential Tremors – was the opener and it blasted off the fast-paced, hard rock J. Roddy style to set the attitude for the night. Walston continued the set with Same Days another song from LP3, and after jumped back to their self titled LP2 for Don’t Break The Needle. Both songs showcase Walston’s wailing, animated vocal performance. — from Thank Folk For That

Jason Mraz, ‘The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)’ Waiting For My Rocket To Come
2002 Elektra Records

Jason Mraz‘s Waiting for My Rocket to Come is a two-part invention. The first level is that of a young, almost compelling, singer/songwriter. Mraz has a nice voice, perhaps a little too articulated at times, which manages to mostly avoid the histrionic despite a predilection towards show tuney melodic turns. His voice tumbles out on top of folk-reggae rhythms that will probably sound a bit dated with time, but his vocals are filled with enough internal rhythms and rhymes to keep them interesting. Lyrically, Mraz relies on cliché to a certain degree, but does so with an earnestness that allows for believability and an eye for imagery that succeeds often enough to suggest that he knows what he’s doing. The second level of Waiting for My Rocket to Come is the production of John Alagía, whose work has enhanced other similar folk-pop fair, including the Dave Matthews Band and O.A.R. His work with Mraz is, at its best, transparent, filling out the songs with subtle and glossy production and instrumentation. Reflections of banjos, organs, mellotrons, lap steels, ukuleles, and others peak out through the shine of the tunes, creating an impact too rich to be written off as lite. — from All Music

Johnny Cigs, ‘Let’s Get It (Prod. by D.R.U.G.S. Beats)’ Lighters and Lightbulbs
2016 Gritty City Records

Originally from Alexandria, Ciggs first came to Richmond from Burke, where he grew up in 2002 as a student at VCU. Years later, he was tired of his job in sales and decided to do an internship at Da Spot Recording Studio.

“I learned a ton of stuff from them. I mean, the way that I go about recording sessions to this day is all based on what they taught me,” said Ciggs. “How to set up sessions and how to record in general, all those things I learned from there.”

As part of his homework for the internship, Ciggs was tasked with recording a song, which would become his first rap project. At the time, he was listening to classic East coast hip-hop from artists like Mobb Deep and Nas, which would continue to influence his work. Much of the subject matter in Ciggs’ lyrics is similar as well, what he would call “braggadocious rappity-rap,” but it also addresses his struggles with alcoholism and mental health issues.

“A lot of my music is more fun if you really listen to what I’m saying. I’m just making fun of myself and the ridiculous and crazy way I used to live,” said Ciggs. “Some days I wanted to die, other days I thought I was living the dream. But really, nothing changed, it was all nonsense.” — from RVA Magazine, November 16, 2020

Jolly Mortals, “225,” Paintscraper
1994 Whirled Records

The Jolly Mortals return from the grave to throw caution and convention aside, leaving their earlier appearance on the ÜB2B vs. the Earth compilation in the dust. These songs are not so metallic, but way groovier. Actually the best two, “4-Ever” and “Bedsores” are on the Bside of the disc, and they alternate between chunky riffs and quiet strumming. The tentative vocals, spastic studio effects, and homemade studio sound give the record (forgive me here) an almost trippy sound, completely unique to Richmond. I wish they had put this out earlier so I would have known to go see them. Readers, learn from my mistakes. –from Throttle Magazine

Jonathan Facka, ‘Tarmac’ Tarmac
2021 Broadcast Recordings

“My name is Jonathan Facka. I’m a singer songwriter from Richmond, Virginia, born at MCV and in 2015 moved to Arizona — I was there for about a year and then I came back. I played clarinet in middle school, and then I transitioned to guitar class in high school. And I just liked it. I didn’t write a real serious song until I was about 27, surprisingly. Basically, a bunch of tragedy happened and I didn’t know I had anything to write about until that. Better late than never.” — from RVA Magazine, July 12, 2021

Jonathan Vassar and The Speckled Bird, ‘Turn to Face The Wind’ Signs & Wonders
2021 Self Released

Whenever I am in need of contemplation, I look no further than Jonathan Vassar and the Speckled Bird. Their new LP doesn’t disappoint, especially with the addition of Paul Watson to the fold. The opening track keeps the familiar aspects of their sound, while incorporating new musical elements that seem to really push The Speckled Bird into the future. As one vignette from this LP, Vassar truly embarks in a literary direction that takes his songwriting up to a whole new level entirely. — from RVA Magazine, January 3, 2013

Josh Small, ‘Say Hello’ Tall
2013 Orchard Music

Throughout this CD, you can’t help but feel that Josh was alone, maybe slightly drunk (in a good way) and on his front porch in VA when writing these songs. Josh’s voice has a feel of despair and hope all rolled into one. When he sings songs like “Come Down,” “Peek Out the Windows” and “Knife in My Belly,” it’s almost as if he’s accepting the pain and putting a positive spin on it, which is what true great artists do.

There are various musicians who contribute to this disc playing drums, violin, congas, upright bass, and piano giving this a feeling of a group of friends getting together and jamming on whatever their heart feels at the moment. A few songs even have a gospel feel to them (“Knife in My Belly”) that could easily be sung during any Sunday mass. The songs all flow together and you can picture a few guys sitting on their front porch playing these songs over and over again. That dirty old Southern gospel feel oozes out of every minute Josh Small is performing. — from PunkNews.org

You can also check out Parts 1 (A-D) 2 (E-J) 3(K-R) 4(T-Z). Enjoy!

Full Metal Christmas 2021

John Reinhold | December 24, 2021

Topics: A Charlie Brown Christmas, Bing Crosby, Britain's Got Talent, Christmas metal, Christmas music, Christmas Truce of 1914, Christopher Lee, Descendents, Dethklok, Frog Leap Studios, Full Metal Christmas, gwar, Majestica, Mastodon, Municipal Waste, Run-DMC, Sabaton, Small Town Titans, The Darkness, The Ramones

Tis the season for my yearly foray into METAL CHRISTMAS!

Because look, we have been dealing with these cheesy Christmas songs for over a month. and… well, we’re done with that. The only way we can deal is to make it METAL as possible. I’ve done this for a few years; some of the links have been taken down on past articles. I can’t find the Metal Version of Charlotte Church’s “Silent Night” — it’s been removed everywhere, to my disappointment. That was a favorite of mine. But the new year brings new things. So: this is the new improved and updated list of metal and laughs for your Christmas Day in 2021.

SLEIGH BELLS TIME!

The perfect start because it has our own Dave Witte from Municipal Waste, with Brendon Small (Dethklok), Brann Dailor (Mastodon), and Nick Cageao (Mutoid Men). This is an amazing cover of the King Diamond song “No Presents for Christmas.” See, this is what it’s all about. Metal creative massive with people from some of our favorite bands. Doesn’t take itself too seriously and has fun with it. Two Minutes to Late Night put this fine thing together. Here’s a link to another from them, featuring local drench massive GWAR.

This is a nice collection of all the favorites, but metal. I really enjoy this at 13 minutes in, with the Nutcracker Suite. Plus look at that badass image of Santa. He’s ready to get these presents out no matter what. Zombie Apocalypse? No problem. Santa comes prepared for such minor issues.

Classic. Charlie Brown needed this so bad. He had enough, he’s depressed, and down he brought it, brutal-style. Join in the dancing at home, throw a pit into your family celebration. You gotta love Snoopy handling all the guitar parts here!

Frog Leap Studios has been doing all these really sweet Christmas thrash and metal versions of songs for a bunch of years. He does a lot of various popular songs as well. This is one of the new ones that I really love. It needed a remake, and this guy goes all in on vocals and the videos. Shoot, I could probably just post a bunch of these, as they’re quality every time. Shoot, OK — here’s last year’s:

Metalcore “Here Comes Santa Claus” hits! I think this one is a great choice. The breakdown is particularly sweet. This also has a Nice Zombie Claus image to go with it. It really helps if you stare at it the whole time while the song plays — squint your eyes while you do. Puts me in the mood, for sure.

Grinch time. Small Town Titans really go all in here. Bluesy and groovy, probably Grinch-approved, I would imagine. This is easily one of the best versions I have heard from the massive amounts of covers of this song.

The Darkness made this song quite a few years ago. I am surprised it didn’t get on any of my other lists. It has Justin Hawkins’ signature sound and buildup, like the usual Darkness songs. But of course it’s a Christmas song, and honestly a pretty decent addition. I never really hear this one played out on the radio stations – not that I’m listening to those. But it does seem like it would be a good choice, and something different if nothing else.

YULE VIKING MUSIC, yessssssssss. Yes. Very much a good call. This is not your classic kinda Christmas music, but this works quite well in a lot of situations. This is not a joke, this is for-real good stuff. Also I want that Viking Santa in the image to be Santa from now on.

Let’s have some fun. This guy is my hero. You can not stop the metal; the crowd let you know. The metal is here, and it’s not gonna be stopped. What a classic moment for Britain’s got Talent.

What if Jingle bells were black metal. BLACK METAL CHRISTMAS. My favorite part is where he gets the bell then goes double bass. Ah, so good.

RAMONES. Do I even need to type anything else? I don’t want to fight tonight anyway. This goes on my list of best ever.

Who the hell is MAJESTICA? This is new, this is interesting. This is Majestica. You can find a whole album of this stuff here.

And I thought I wouldn’t find much new for this year’s metal Christmas. But hey, COVID. This one even comes with a whole freaking movie of sorts to “Uplift” you. This is a lot, that’s for sure. It has a message and is based on the true story of the Christmas Truce of 1914. Of course they all fight again once it’s done. But for one moment, for Christmas, they stopped fighting and played soccer. Next day, the slaughter resumed. Oh, this is SABATON in all their glory!

Descendents’ “Christmas Vacation,” live. It’s short but sweet. If you don’t know who the Descendents are, well then shame on you. Basically every hardcore punk band you probably like was influenced by them. Get Milo Goes to College and bask in it.

Never forget. Christopher Lee’s Heavy Metal Christmas is the stuff of legends. He even followed it up in 2013 with A Heavy Metal Christmas Too. My main man Dooku was a walking God.

“Heavy metal has, since its very beginning, surprised in the best sense of the word, and people all over the world. To be involved in that, and to show people that even now I can still surprise my audience, it’s very important. I’ve spent my entire career taking risks. Acting is a risk, it has to be. I’ve never been afraid, and I’ve done my best to take those risks.” — Christopher Lee in Metal Hammer

I needed a heavy one to put on this list. It felt like I was lacking really heavy vocals. But count on Bing to pull through and help me out. If you’re looking for “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer,” well, here ya go. This should fill that spot nicely.

OK IT’S NOT METAL. But damn, it’s Run-DMC, and I wanted to include this sweet Christmas banger from them. “Christmas in Hollis” is a classic; so good. I should do a hip hop Christmas list, because there are a bunch of funk and hip hop classics that should get a lot of play. Consider this a start-up for it.

Here, enjoy Pustulus Maximus from GWAR killing Santa Claus. Thanks a lot, GWAR, for ruining Christmas for all of us. Who the hell’s gonna bring us presents now? GWAR’S FOR THE KIDS, Y’ALL

Oh, seriously, why not?

—-

Want an actual good Christmas mix? Then I highly recommend this holiday mix to put on. It is way better than all that other holiday mess on the radio: BIRD PETERSON’S HOLIDAY SPECIAL .

RVA Magazine wishes you all a very Merry Christmas!

Anxiety Hangover: An Interview With Mike IX Williams Of Eyehategod

Ryan Kent | November 2, 2021

Topics: Buzzoven, Cancer As A Social Activity, Corrections House, Eyehategod, Frank Kozik, Grave Digger, gwar, Hurricane Ida, Hurricane Katrina, Last City Zero, Madball, Mike IX Williams, New Orleans

Despite hailing from New Orleans, sludge-metal legends Eyehategod have formed a ton of connections to Richmond over the past three decades. Ryan Kent caught up with vocalist Mike IX Williams outside the National after their recent gig with GWAR to find out where things stand for the group in the wake of Hurricane Ida and the ongoing hardships of daily life in 2021.

“Come out here Communist bastard. I got wine. They won’t let me in.”

Mike IX Williams sent that message two hours after NOLA’s Eyehategod opened for GWAR and Madball at the National back in September. This was the first of four shows. A prelude to an almost month and a half long hell-ride with the Scumdogs of the Universe and Napalm Death, which was set to launch October 28^th at the NorVa in Norfolk, Va.

It was the best I’d seen Eyehategod play in recent years, and that’s not meant to be a backhanded compliment. The Richmond dates from years past were outstanding. Sharing bills with the likes of Negative Approach and Nachtmystium, Ringworm and Corrosion of Conformity. The Hat Factory. Strange Matter. The Broadberry, twice.

This show at the National just seemed better. More succinct, if that makes any sense, given the DUI nature of the music and the coarse vocals of their gutter-mouthed microphone player. Like driving with no brakes and no headlights. Nose-first into the ditch.

Maybe there was just less bog in the atmosphere on this night.

Sure enough, the man had wine. It was one of those miniature boxed wines I’ve seen Moms carrying around The Fan. A little cardboard rectangle with a twisty-top.

*Photo by Dark Division Media, Courtesy Mike IX Williams*

Mike IX was standing by a newspaper dispenser, a relic of the late Style Weekly, when I walked out of the National to meet the vocalist on Broad Street. I hadn’t seen him in a few years. It was the first tour Eyehategod had done in 20 months, and the first with guitarist Jimmy Bower back in its nucleus. Welding their bong-blues hardcore punk hull back together.

Mike IX looked in his element standing on the sidewalk with his wine. Just as much as he looked in his element earlier howling into the SM-58.

If you know the back story, you’ll most likely recognize the symbolism here. The streets seem to be synonymous with Eyehategod. A place that can be as unforgiving as it can be relentless. There’s nothing uplifting here unless you are soothed by the bleakness of concrete. Avoiding cops. Trying to keep a low-profile. A Southern nihilism front.

Listen to that with headphones on.

“I don’t have a place to live at the moment,” he said. “I moved back to New Orleans conveniently a week before the hurricane [Ida]. I was in an Airbnb and that got all fucked up.”

Hurricane Ida became the second-biggest cyclone to hit the Bayou State on record. The Category 4 caused $18 Billion in insured losses and had 150 mph sustained winds when it made landfall. Mike IX was also in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It was Hell, in a lot of ways. He said there are still buildings standing down there with numbers spay-painted on the façades. A tally of how many bodies were inside.

“Well, you know, I got PTSD, and being in this last hurricane, everybody’s saying it was gonna be like Katrina. It wasn’t thankfully. It was similar, though, because all the power was out for weeks. But that kind of brought the PTSD back, because I stayed through Katrina. I was there. I don’t know if a lot of people know that story. But it’s a long story. I stayed there.”

Since Ida, Mike IX has been waiting to get back in the van. Maybe to get away from bad luck or maybe just to get the fuck out of Louisiana. Eyehategod played three headline shows before the September 16^th concert at the National, and they were all “weird and insane” thunderstorms. “We played Nashville, and Nashville is a cool city,” he said, “but I didn’t expect it to be like – people were just dancing like crazy. It was fun, man.”

These are the good things. Welcome deluges and heavy winds. New bodies twisting around each other in the middle. Chaos with the power on. The feeling of being picked up and thrown somewhere.

“We’ve always seen younger people show up to our shows,” he went on. “I remember the first time we kind of noticed it. I don’t know what year it was. Like, 2000 or something. Our friends would show up with their kids, and their kids are wearing our shirt [or] whatever Eyehategod thing and they’re like 12. That’s when I got into [music]. I mean, probably 11-12. Then those kids are now grown up [and] maybe they have kids. I don’t know what you call it. Like a ‘murder of kids,’ or something.”

Playing this brand of underground music is a Hail Mary pass on a good day. Even the superstars aren’t household names. Most original bands don’t even make it beyond the line of scrimmage without being knocked down or batted to the sidelines. Or worse, made to watch some Edison intercept the playbook and run it the opposite way for glory. Eyehategod have shot for the moon for over 30 years. Playing in dank shitholes and mid-level clubs, preaching the same end-time message for three decades across the United States and Europe. New people keep showing up to be leveled by this stark funnel cloud from New Orleans.

“Shout out to the Lost Well [in Austin, TX]. It’s such a fucking sleazy and fucking beautiful place,” Mike IX said.

I remembered the Lost Well from a tour stop years ago. It looked like the kind of outlaw dive you could imagine Dennis Hopper had drank in once, and spit on the floor. Where there’s blood on the wall in the bathroom, and the toilets don’t have seats.

“I don’t want to bust them, but there’s things you can procure there. It’s not the bar, it’s people that go there. I love those bars. Those are the bars I grew up in as a kid. Punk rock bars. The place would get trashed, like, every weekend, and they’d just put the chairs back up and have another show. Toilets getting destroyed — that’s not cool [to] destroy the toilets. The club might have to close. It’ll cost them money. Just crazy-ass-shit.”

Their recent headline shows have been in small clubs. The energy has been intimate and unruly. Close enough to be sweat on by Jimmy Bower. Eight years ago, my old band, Gritter, opened for Eyehategod with Ringworm at Strange Matter. A five-band bill with zero room for us on the stage. I liked playing floor shows. I could move around and not be confined to a 3ft-by-3ft square surrounded by gear. I’d rather be closer to the audience anyway. At their eye-level. Feeling their momentum. Given the option, it was always my choice.

“Do you remember when it was Twisters?” he asked.

‘Wasn’t here yet,” I said. “Moved here in late 2003, so it was the Nancy Raygun then.”

“Oh okay,” he said. “I didn’t know when you [moved] to Richmond. It’s pretty much the exact same place with a few things changed. We were [at Twisters] with Buzzov*en, like, all the time. We toured with Buzzov*en twice, but we played with them all the time. We’d do shows here and there, like one-off things. We’d drive straight up to Richmond [from New Orleans] just to play with them.”

The 1990’s became a Molotov cocktail for Eyehategod. Records like Take As Needed For Pain and Dopesick were fresh wounds. The legendary tour opening for Pantera and White Zombie in 1996 solidified Eyehategod’s name in infamy. Also, the world-of-mouth tale of a guy setting himself on fire during a show at Twisters with Today Is The Day and Burn The Priest was cauterized into Richmond metal lore. It can still be heard slurring from the mouths of old dudes in bars around town. Every word of it true.

They were lawless, godless, lunatics for hire, and some great like-minded bands followed suit.

*The poster in question, as sourced from the internet. Art by Frank Kozik.*

Vince Burke (Hail!Hornet, Beaten Back To Pure) owns Sniper Studios, which is located 2.5 hours away from Richmond, in Moyock, NC. On the back of the control room door hung a loud, gold-leaf Eyehategod poster. I looked at the poster for days when Gritter recorded there 11 years ago. So fascinated by the poster’s medieval Lucifer that it never dawned on me to ask Vince who the designer was.

I took the opportunity on the sidewalk to ask Mike IX.

“That was Frank Kozik,” he said. “It was Alabama Thunderpussy and Suplecs. That was our [former] bass player’s [Danny Nick] band. Like, a real stonerish rock band, whatever that means. And I forget who else [Drunk Horse and Natas (from Argentina)]. It was from a show in San Francisco, the gold Kozik thing.”

It was a scarce piece of memorabilia to have.

“I may still have it somewhere, but I don’t know. My stuff’s all over the country [in] storage rooms.”

Before moving back to New Orleans, Mike IX was living in Salem, Massachusetts – 25 miles just outside of Boston. Home to the famous witch trials and the Freemason’s grand architecture.

“Salem’s alright, man. I mean, it’s not great. It’s like a tourist thing, you know. They call it ‘Witch City’ which is so corny to me, but the tourists eat it up and I get it. If they want to make money, they call it ‘Witch City.’ I would too. I like Boston itself. I thought Boston itself was – it’s much more like cities I’m used to.”

“Less of a smalltown vibe. Less suburbia. Much different than the City of Richmond,” I said.

“Yeah. I mean – yeah,” he said.

Right about that time the National emptied out.

Glassy-eyed fans wearing bloody GWAR shirts noticed Mike IX and started walking up, already shouting excited congratulations about Eyehategod’s set. I knew the interview needed to be put on hold. We began wading through the people, like a sandbag wall had collapsed, temporarily flooding the sidewalk with black shirts and tattoos. It took a half-hour or so, but finally we made it across the street to Eyehategod’s Sprinter van. Gary Mader (bass) and Jimmy Bower were outside taking in the pre-autumn air. Drummer Aaron Hill had gone back to the hotel a few hours before.

I didn’t finish the interview with Mike IX that night.

Five weeks later, I was listening to his spoken word-cum-industrial project, Corrections House (featuring Scott Kelly of Neurosis, producer Sanford Parker, and saxophonist Bruce Lamont), while driving back from the Outer Banks. The lyrics to the title track of their 2013 debut album, Last City Zero, were taken from Mike IX’s 2005 book of lyrics and poetry, Cancer As A Social Activity. I remembered how the book inspired me to continue writing poetry even though I was in a metal band. Some years after that, I handed Mike IX my first book of poetry. When the time came to release my second, he wrote a paragraph for the back cover.

Twenty-five minutes from Moyock, I pulled into Digger’s Dungeon (home of Dennis Anderson’s Grave Digger) off North Carolina Highway 168 to shoot Mike IX a message. On September 16^th, I’d wanted to ask him why he’d left Boston. Maybe even get some of the lurid details about the hurricanes. But for whatever reason it felt inappropriate, so I stuck with pedestrian shit. Maybe it had something to do with the sidewalk.

He got back to me that day, saying, “I don’t wanna talk about leaving Boston. I’ll talk about living there a little bit, however. I’ve lived all over: San Francisco, Houston, Brooklyn, spent a good bit of time in Chicago, blah blah. I’ll [get back to you] in a couple of hours.”

Eyehategod played a show the night before, and Mike IX was sleeping it off.

A few hours later I received this message.

“Hurricane Ida heading this way just brought back a lot of tension and anxiety to the city and me personally. It was bringing up bad memories of Katrina and what that did to our city. All the anguish it caused EVERYONE in New Orleans. Luckily, in the city proper, Ida didn’t cause too much physical damage, but the mental damage was there, nonetheless. The poor people on the Gulf Coast however, got demolished AGAIN. The pain in the ass in NOLA was that the power was out for weeks. I evacuated to a hotel on the beach in Mississippi and wasted a ton of money paying for that, which sucked. I had just moved back from Boston as well, so I was like, ‘Great timing!’ Katrina just fucked everybody’s head up. Lots of horrific scenes. I ended up in jail in Morgan City for ‘liberating some items from a Walgreens pharmacy.’ Actually, I looted the fuck out of that place. There’s so much more detail to this it’s incredible. Every person here, at that time, has their own stories of that hurricane. It definitely left scars on us all. I’m gonna write the full story sooner or later of August 29, 2005.”

It’s fitting Mike IX Williams moved back to New Orleans just in time for Hurricane Ida. That old saying of, “If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all” couldn’t ring truer when said in the same breath as the singer’s name. That goes as well for the band and their name: Eyehategod.

Really? Eyehategod?

You can find lots of meaning in a name if you poke a shovel just below the surface. Maybe make several comparisons based on circumstantial evidence. Maybe it’s the necessity to have meaning for a run of good luck or bad luck. Package it together, tie a little bow on the top and – voila. There’s your nice little reason for everything. Your apex predator. Your benevolent benefactor.

For instance, the names Ida and Katrina have very different origins, but their meanings can piggyback one another depending upon where you are in your quest for meaning. Ida comes from the Germanic root id, meaning “labor” or “work,” while Katrina is ancient Greek, meaning “pure,” as well as “torture.”

On the other hand, the name Williams is derived from the old German Wilhelm, meaning “resolute protector” or “strong-willed warrior.”

Mix that up in a bowl and call it whatever you want. The ingredients are sitting right on top. It won’t be terribly difficult to put two and two together. One slice of marbled rye, then a slice of pumpernickel, and whatever you want in the middle. Like how Dean Martin sang, “You’re Nobody Until Somebody Loves You;” well, Biggie Smalls rapped “You’re Nobody Until Somebody Kills You.”

Sometimes, life doesn’t have any real meaning. Seems to be, at times, that apex predator stomping around a deciduous forest looking for you. Not one that simply looks like you or may weigh roughly the same as you or use a similar soap, but specifically you. Or maybe some terminal billionaire is being driven around town in their Bentley Mulsanne, desperately trying to bequeath you their entire estate before the stroke of midnight.

Sorry, but all of that is nonsense. Mike IX Williams didn’t protect NOLA from “pure torture,” and he wasn’t supposed to. Hurricanes Ida and Katrina held no personal vendetta against the Big Easy. It’s just how it is. Occasionally, life is in the business of dying. Maybe even living. It’s all one big storm with a different name and a different trajectory. Pay attention or throw caution to the wind. Luck is only in Vegas.

Take that as needed for pain.

Top Photo by Dark Division Media, Courtesy Mike IX Williams

GWAR Laid Waste To The National Once Again

Ryan Kent | September 30, 2021

Topics: Eyehategod, gwar, live music in rVA, Madball, Michael Bishop, richmond music, Scumdogs of the Universe, The National

In preparation for kicking off their 30th anniversary tour for landmark album Scumdogs Of The Universe, GWAR brought Madball and Eyehategod along with them to destroy The National. The jubilant crowd loved every minute of it.

You should’ve been there.

I guess that’s what people say the day after a good show. Sucks to hear as a kid, but eventually becomes a shoulder shrug as you get older. Leading up to the pandemic, trendsetters found it hip not to go to the show. Whatever that means — probably the same bullshit as not using a turn signal. Has that trend shown up in your neighborhood yet?

Still, it feels necessary to say “You should’ve been there” after this particular GWAR show. It was a one-off before the start of their tour for the 30^th Anniversary of Scumdogs of the Universe (which they played in its entirety on this night), with Napalm Death and Eyehategod, which will commence on Oct. 28th.

The venue wasn’t packed. It was full, but it wasn’t packed, despite a solid bill featuring New York Hardcore legends Madball and the once-dopesick Eyehategod.

This makes sense with autumn approaching and the looming COVID-19/Delta Variant ready to bare its canines. Proper safety precautions were taken by the National before admittance to the venue (i.e., proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test) and a large portion in attendance kept their masks on.

It’s been especially rough for musicians these last 18 months. People gotta eat. Mike IX Williams spoke into the microphone after Eyehategod’s rousing conclusion of “New Orleans is the New Vietnam,” seeming to acknowledge the missing persons. “I’d slit my wrist in the crowd just to see a show. A year and a half.”

That was the truth. Eyehategod sounded fantastic. Maybe even better than I’ve heard them play in years. Could’ve been a combination of necessity and appreciation to have live music back. They didn’t disappoint, filling their set with fan favorites from genre-defining albums Take As Needed For Pain and Dopesick. Eyehategod also included material from 2021’s A History of Nomadic Behavior, finishing off their set with the relentless “Every Thing, Every Day.”

The audience loved it. Shit, I loved it and I can’t remember half of what they played.

I’ve never really listened to Madball. Sure, I’ve heard them before, but I couldn’t tell you the name of a song. That’s also not a segue into saying I dislike the band for whatever reason. I’ve just never really listened to Madball.

From jump – I say “jump” because their energetic frontman, Freddy Cricien, did that all over the stage – Madball delivered. Cricien had more energy than anyone in the room that night, and he’s 45 years old. Certainly hadn’t expected the Richmond crowd to eat up their set the way they did, either. A reminder that I hadn’t been to a hardcore show in a long time. The crowd was sweaty and Madball was excellent.

Smoking weed is fun, and I think everyone smoked weed before GWAR played. Old people were comfortable on the sidelines and in the back, dar from fake blood and green dual-udder ejaculate. Hot breath and hands and elbows. I kept my mask on and leaned against a railing by the bar.

Adam Kravitz, guitarist of local instrumental-metal band FutureProjektor, told me his old band the Diseased opened for GWAR at Twisters just before their tour promoting Scumdogs of the Universe. He said they only played three songs before they were kicked offstage. “It was my second show.”

That was roughly thirty years ago. Things are much different now.

Sans any original members since the passing of unforgettable leader Dave Brockie, GWAR has touched down on each hapless city in the US, not with something to prove (it’s been seven years), but a legacy to uphold. Diehard GWAR fans and casual listeners have gotten their money’s worth with each event, this one included. Naysayers of the past are largely silent now. GWAR must’ve drowned them in spooge.

The stage show, and hilarious banter aside, GWAR are exceptional musicians and they ready-aim-fired on the entire Scumdogs of the Universe can(n)on. Brent Purgason can bring out the dormant air-guitarist in a sea of heshers, and Brad Roberts is one nasty extraterrestrial behind the drums, while Mike Derks and Casey Orr bring killer stringed weaponry as Balsac the Jaws of Death and Beefcake the Mighty.

But, if there is anyone capable of stepping into fill the vacant spot of a legendary frontman, hands-down my money is on Michael Bishop. He nailed the songs from Scumdogs. His antler headdress and hide from a vanquished “Spectral Moon Moose” triumphantly reigned supreme over the Slave Pit. GWAR’s front-thing defends their legacy with axe and shock-rock, load-dripping udders. The Berserker Blothar murdered the National.

They’re just a nightmare of a good time.

It’s probably close to impossible for GWAR to disappoint. They cut off Joe Biden’s head on September 16th. I don’t really care about politics, but I like watching people get decapitated in this fashion.

Really though, you don’t need a play-by-play of a show that happened two weeks ago. If you’ve seen GWAR before, you know what goes on there. There’s fake blood and slime and violence and bad language. There are people dressed in outrageous costumes. If you haven’t experienced GWAR, well, I don’t know what to tell you.

Maybe, buy a ticket for their Oct. 28^th show at the NorVA? Maybe get a vaccine and wear a mask? Or maybe keep being hip sitting at home. Do what you like.

Top Photo by John Reinhold

GWAR Will Eat Your Car (No, Really)

Timothy Cantrell | September 24, 2020

Topics: Blothar, Broadberry entertainment group, coronavirus, covid 19, drive-in shows, gwar, social distancing, The Diamond

Most people are not doing well during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the members of GWAR are not most people. The intergalactic metal gods have taken the pandemic in stride. Blothar took time out of his day of conquest to talk about GWAR’s plan for their upcoming drive-in shows.

GWAR, the intergalactic alien metal band that has made Richmond its home for over three decades, has been doing well during the COVID-19 pandemic — at least according to lead vocalist Blothar.

“We’re doing well, but that’s because humanity is doing very poorly.” Blothar said. “So, naturally, it’s a time of celebration and cheer for GWAR. I mean, we’re wondering if there’s going to be any of you left by the time that this is all through.”

Blothar also said that the members of GWAR are isolating themselves from one another, but not because of the pandemic. “We don’t really like to be around each other anyway,” he said, “so being forced to work remotely has certainly had its perks.”

Blothar has recently relocated from GWAR’s Antarctic fortress to Sarasota, Florida. “It’s a fun time with the aging rock stars,” he said. “I hang out with Brian Johnson From AC/DC. We have a good time doing karaoke with the guys from Obituary.”

But isolation can be boring, so GWAR is holding two drive-in shows at The Diamond parking lot in Richmond on Saturday, Oct. 10^th. According to Blothar, this is the only GWAR live show they’re doing in 2020. The first show sold out quickly, but at the time of writing this article, tickets are still available for purchase for the 5:45 p.m. show.

There are three different ticket tiers available for purchase based on the proximity of the stage. A single ticket grants access to the concert for one vehicle, which can have up to four passengers. Vehicles will be parked in a socially-distanced manner, and if concert goers would like, they’re invited to sit directly adjacent to their vehicles in lawn chairs or blankets. Safety guidelines will be strictly enforced, and patrons will not be allowed to leave their adjacent vehicle area unless using the restroom, where they must wear a mask.

Despite the different environment of the concert, GWAR is confident fans will have a great time.

“What fans are going to see is a GWAR show,” Blothar said. “A classic GWAR show, with all of the trappings. It’s just that they’ll have to use their windshield washer fluid a lot… I think it’s going to be a very different experience.”

Blothar did say that fans should also expect new jokes and new context. “It’s going to be topical,” he said. “Topical like an ointment. Both in its meaningful, and you can spread it around.”

GWAR looks forward to the drive-in shows. “It’s going to be great for us because cars are ultimately a lot better looking than people,” said Blothar. “I think it’s going to be a really fun way to see GWAR… And we’ve definitely got some things planned to make it more fun, given the particular circumstance.”

Even though that particular circumstance may not be the best, GWAR is excited for the potential to do something different than they have ever done. “This is just an interesting sort of arrangement of a canvas that we haven’t dealt with before,” Blothar said.

GWAR is also excited to be working with The Broadberry Entertainment Group. “It’s taking a while for the [music] industry to recalibrate under these conditions,” Blothar said. “And Richmond is actually pretty fortunate to have a creative promoter in that town that will work to facilitate these types of events.” Blothar also said that things are being done and discussed about the potential of future shows, but because of the difficulty in recalibration across the world, things have been difficult.

However, according to Blothar, there will be a GWAR live-stream event. He couldn’t give specific details, though. “Let’s just say that at some time in the very near future, we’ll be doing a very special live stream event which is going to be very exciting,” Blothar explained.

As for the drive-in shows, they are a special event for people to go see GWAR live, something that Blothar thinks is a necessity. “GWAR is a live entity,” he said. “We’re something that you need to see live in order to appreciate.”

What’s more, this event will be a bit of a rarity — GWAR isn’t planning on doing another show like this in Richmond anytime soon. “We may be doing more socially distant shows in different locations, but this is a special event.”

More than ever, it’s become increasingly important to support local musicians. As Blothar pointed out, the situation today has made it a lot harder for people to make a living in music. “There’s a lot of musicians that you respect and admire who are making good music and making albums, but they’re working people that are out there trying hard,” he said.

*Photo by Joey Senft, via GWAR/Facebook*

Blothar also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has created a different sort of problem in the music industry: People are leaving. Musicians aren’t able to play shows at venues, but at the same time, people who work in the music industry who are not musicians themselves are looking for work in other avenues.

“It’s very sad because what you’re seeing is an exodus of talent in the industry,” said Blothar. “The people who run sound… These are usually pretty qualified engineers who could work in another field.”

Blothar said that shows like the ones they’re planning at the Diamond are the sort of thing that helps local musicians earn money during these times. “And I know that sounds ridiculous when people think about how much they just paid for a Rolling Stones ticket,” he said. “But not everybody is The Rolling Stones.”

GWAR is definitely not the Rolling Stones.

Tickets for the 5:45 PM show are still available, and prices per car range from $140 to VIP Spew Row tickets (“Your car will be spewed!” the ordering page warns. Sounds good to us), which are available for $199.95 per car. Place your orders at Etix.

Top Photo by Vince Edwards, via GWAR/Facebook

VA’s Can’t-See Shows This Week: March 25 – March 31

Marilyn Drew Necci | March 25, 2020

Topics: avail, Black Flag, Chisel, Dave MAtthews Band, Fugazi, grateful dead, gwar, Hard Times, PB Kellys, richmond coliseum, Richmond VA - Hooray!, Shafer Court, shows you must see, Ted Leo, The Flood Zone, The Metro, Twisters

Well, here we are again, stuck at home with no shows to go to, trying to find a way to survive without live music for… who knows how long? I don’t have any good news for you on that front, but I can offer you another collection of great live footage with which to fill your days and nights over the next week and try to ease the pain of social distancing.

This week’s playlist is entitled “Let’s go to shows in Richmond in the 20th century.” It’s all footage recorded here in the river city before Y2K, and while the younger amongst you might not recognize a lot of the venues we stop into this week, they’re sure to bring back some memories for the old heads.

Quick warning: recording technology wasn’t then what it is today. A lot of this stuff might not sound as amazing as you’d like it to. But really, we’re just lucky to have any of it at this point. So if all else fails, turn it up. Let’s rock.

Fugazi at Shafer Court, VCU, April 14, 1996

This 10-song playlist features a significant portion of a live outdoor performance by the most fervently DIY band the hardcore scene of the 90s ever produced. Early on, Fugazi insisted on door prices for their shows being $5 or less. Once they were doing well, they started trying to play for free whenever possible. This performance, held outside on a beautiful spring day in the middle of VCU’s campus, was free to all comers — and a lot of people showed up, as you will see from the various crowd shots interspersed within this video. Current VCU students might not recognize the spot on campus where this was filmed; that’s because this outdoor stage was demolished in the early 00s to make way for what is now the Shafer dining hall.

Fugazi have released high-quality audio of many of their concerts over the years as part of their Fugazi Live Series, and while they only have high-quality audio of part of this performance, footage from the last four songs in this set has been synced with that audio to create an incredible audiovisual document. If the middling-quality video camera audio in the first part of the set doesn’t do it for you, skip ahead to “Instrument” — it all sounds awesome after that.

GWAR at PB Kelly’s, October 11, 1985

This is, as far as anyone knows, GWAR’s first full live performance. Started by the members of Richmond hardcore band Death Piggy as a goofy joke band that could open their sets, the band originally known as Gwarrrrggghhh! eventually became the focus of their efforts. This video captures the very beginning of their path to world domination, and presents a GWAR lineup that even longtime fans might not know about. In the early days, Dave Brockie, aka Oderus Urungus, was GWAR’s guitar player, and while he still did most of the talking between songs, it was Joe Annaruma that handled the lead vocals. That lasted until 1986, when Brockie took over the vocal position, and Oderus Urungus was born.

This video captures a very primitive version of what GWAR would eventually become, but does show that even 35 years ago, a lot of the pieces were already in place. As for PB Kelly’s, where it was filmed, this Shockoe Bottom club was wiped permanently off the map only a month after this performance by the 30-foot-high flood waters of Hurricane Juan — so if you’ve never heard of it, that’s understandable.

Black Flag at Hard Times, April 9, 1984

There are two schools of thought about Black Flag, the legendary LA hardcore band who were integral to the growth and spread of American hardcore in the early 80s. The first is that they went to hell once Henry Rollins joined, and everything after 1981’s Damaged is garbage. The second is that if anything, they got more interesting in their later years, as they delved into anguished metallic sludge with occasional mathy prog tangents. Where you land on that spectrum will definitely influence your appreciation for this 1984 live set by Black Flag, captured a month after the release of their divisive second album, My War.

Over the course of this hour-long set, the band plays everything from early hardcore-punk bangers like “Nervous Breakdown” and “Jealous Again” to slowed-down torture-fests like “Three Nights” and “Nothing Left Inside,” with a couple of their signature bizarre instrumentals thrown in for good measure. And if you ask me, it all rules. This video was filmed from the back of Hard Times, which gives us all a good look at the inside of this brick building at the corner of West Cary and Harrison streets long before it became a Thai restaurant.

Dave Matthews Band at The Flood Zone, June 17, 1992

Richmond in the late 20th century was definitely a town focused on hardcore, punk, and metal. But that’s not to say that nothing else was happening here back then, and there’s plentiful proof of that on this video from The Flood Zone, a Shockoe Bottom club that became Have A Nice Day Cafe in the late 90s and more recently has been converted into condos. Ugh. Before all that happened, it was the biggest performance venue this side of the coliseum that Richmond had to offer, and in the early 90s, the Dave Matthews Band dominated it with their standing gigs every Wednesday night.

To put it into perspective, this footage was filmed two years before this Charlottesville quintet’s breakout major label debut, Under The Table And Dreaming. And yet they clearly had already completed some of the key material that later made them famous; this set features future hit singles like “What Would You Say” and “So Much To Say.” Several years before they hit heavy rotation on MTV, they were getting regular airplay onstage in Richmond. And back then, Dave still had a full head of hair!

Chisel at Twisters, 1995

Ted Leo went on to make quite a name for himself in the post-Y2k era as an indie-punk singer-songwriter hero, fronting his band The Pharmacists. But before all that, he was leading a hot power-pop trio called Chisel, who swung through Richmond on a summer night in 1995 and played to a mid-sized crowd at Twisters (the club best remembered today as Strange Matter). It’s likely that a lot more people would claim today to have been at this show than were actually there at the time, but no one back then knew who this skinny guy with the Telecaster would go on to become.

This footage doesn’t sound the greatest, and is too dark to give you a good sense of what the room was like (spoiler: it was dim and kinda grotty, just like it was when it was Strange Matter), but it should at least hint at the greatness buried on those old Chisel albums that even a lot of Ted Leo fans don’t know about. Dig em up if you haven’t, you won’t be sorry.

Avail at The Metro, May 1, 1992

We got a set from Avail in 2019 last week, and here’s at least one song from nearly 30 years before. Believe it or not, this performance was billed at the time as Avail’s “last show” — their breakup didn’t last very long, though, and we’re all much better for it. What this footage proves is that Avail shows 28 years ago (can you believe it’s been that long?) were just as crazy as the reunion shows were last year.

As for the Metro, where this was filmed, it was little more than a big empty room with a stage at one end. It was located above what is now Asado and for a long time before that was known as Empire, and was definitely a venue from another time; I know for sure you couldn’t buy food there, which you’d never see at a Virginia venue today. The Metro was shuttered after the fire marshall showed up at an over-capacity Avail gig in 1995, and it has never reopened. Rumor has it that it’s still up there above Asado, exactly as it was 25 years ago, lying in wait for a new generation of Richmonders to discover it.

The Grateful Dead at The Richmond Coliseum, November 2, 1985

It’s hard to explain to a younger music fan who wasn’t around when The Grateful Dead were still kicking just what a phenomenon this band was. The death of Jerry Garcia in summer 1995 ended a 30-year legacy that has only been sporadically captured by various offshoots and semi-reunions over the quarter-century since then. And if you don’t understand it, this fuzzy footage (with thankfully excellent sound) of the group’s second set at the Richmond Coliseum in 1985 is not going to get it across to you.

However, Richmond’s true Deadheads are sure to be stoked to see this trip into our city’s Deadhead past, from way before Cary Street Cafe was a thing. It also reminds us of a time when the city was putting the Coliseum to good use, something it should probably still be doing instead of letting it sit there empty. But I digress.

Richmond VA – Hooray! Live video compilation, 1998

Let’s cap this thing off with an embarrassment of riches from 22 long years ago. This compilation, assembled by Jeff Grant (Flashbulb Memory, Pink Razors, Stop It!) and originally released on VHS, captures performances by 30 different bands active in Richmond in 1998. It features everything from familiar Richmond names, some of which are still active today (Avail, Fun Size, Ann Beretta), to forerunners of modern legends: James River Scratch is Tony Foresta’s pre-Municipal Waste band; The Ultimate Dragons moved to Texas and evolved into The Sword; Disinterment featured multiple future members of Darkest Hour.

There are also some forgotten curiosities buried within this playlist that are sure to bring back fond memories for the lucky few who were around to see them the first time. If you know where to look, you’ll even see me, when I was half my current age, ranting and screaming in a basement. But the hidden gem of this playlist, which makes it worth it even when the audio isn’t the greatest, is the documentation of what Richmond looked like in 1998, as preserved in the introductory videos filmed by Jeff and his then-bandmate Duncan Adams in various spots around the city. It’s hard to believe how much it’s changed since then.